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Best of Marin winners

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT

Best American Restaurant Buckeye Roadhouse

Best Bakery Emporio Rulli

Best Bar Finnegan's - www.finnegansmarin.com

Best Breakfast Half Day Cafe

Best Burger Joint M&G Burgers and Beverages

Best Chinese Restaurant Jennie Low's Chinese Cuisine

Best Deli Perry's

Best French Restaurant El Paseo

Best Ice Cream/Yogurt Shop Fairfax Scoop

Best Independent Coffee House Marin Coffee Roasters

Best Indian Restaurant Lotus Cuisine of India

Best Italian Restaurant Il Fornaio

Best Japanese Restaurant Sushi to Dai For

Best Meal Under $20 Sol Food

Best Mexican Restaurant Las Camelias

Best New Restaurant Cafe Gratitude

Best Novato Restaurant WildFox

Best Pizzeria Mulberry Street Pizza

Best Pub/Sports Bar Marin Brewing Company

Best Ross Valley Restaurant Insalata's - insalatas.com

Best San Rafael Restaurant Il Davide - ildavide.net

Best Seafood Restaurant Seafood Peddler

Best Southern Marin RestaurantBuckeye Roadhouse

Best Taqueria Taqueria San Jose

Best Thai Restaurant Thep Lela

Best Twin Cities Restaurant Lark Creek Inn

Best West Marin Restaurant Nick's Cove

Best Wine Bar Rick's Wine Cellar

LAUNCH A THOUSAND SHIPS

Best Day Spa Stellar Spa

Best Glasses and Eyewear 20/20 Optical

Best Jeweler Stephan-Hill

Best Massage Mill Valley Massage - millvalleymassage.com

Best Men's Clothier Gene Hiller Exclusive Menswear

Best Men's Hair Salon Brewer Phillips Hair Design

Best Shoes Shoe Envy

Best Women's Boutique Mad Rags Fashions

Best Women's Hair Salon Brewer Phillips Hair Design

NATURE TEACHES BEASTS

Best Art Supplies Perry's Art Supplies

Best Dog Park Bayfront Park, Mill Valley

Best Kid-friendly, Non-chain Restaurant Easy Street Café

Best Pet Groomer Doggie Styles

Best Pet Store Pet Cottage

Best Playground Millennium Park, San Anselmo

Best Place for a Kid's Party Bay Area Discovery Museum

Best Toy Store A Child's Delight - achildsdelight.com

FROM THE HOUSE OF MEDICI

Best Art Gallery Donna Seager Gallery - donnaseagergallery.com

Best Dance lessons Dance Arts Studio

Best Live Music Venue Sweetwater Saloon

Best Movie Theater Rafael Film Center

Best Non-chain Bookstore Book Passage

Best Photography Store Seawood Photo

Best Place for Dancing 19 Broadway

Best Place to Buy Musical Instruments Bananas at Large - www.bananas.com

Best Theater Company Marin Theatre Company

Best Used Record Store Mill Valley Music

Best Video Store Video Droid

GREEN IN JUDGMENT

Best Beach Stinson Beach

Best Bike Shop Mike's Bikes

Best Business that Promotes Going Green Green Fusion Design Center

Best Consignment Shop Dove Place Antiques & Consignment www.doveplaceantiques.com

Best Park McNears Beach Park

Best Organic Produce Marin County Farmers Market - marincountyfarmersmarkets.org

Best Hike Tennessee Valley

Best Solar Supplier Marin Solar - marinsolar.com

OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE

Best Antique Shop Dove Place Antiques & Consignment www.doveplaceantiques.com

Best Frame Shop Cheap Pete's Frame Factory Outlet

Best Gift Shop The Great Acorn

Best Lighting North Bay Lighting and Electrical Supply

Best Patio Furniture Frellen's Casual & Outdoor Furniture

THE VITRUVIAN MAN AWARDS

Best Golf Course StoneTree Golf Club

Best Health Club Osher Marin JCC www.marinjcc.org

Best Health Food Store Good Earth Natural Foods

Best Pilates Studio Mill Valley Health Club and Spa

Best Ski/Camping Shop DemoSport

Best Sports Equipment Store T&B Sports

Best Sports Shoes and Apparel Arch Rival

Best Swimming Pool Osher Marin JCC www.marinjcc.org

Best Yoga Studio Bikram Yoga, San Rafael

OF HOUSE AND HOME

Best Beds and Bedding Duxiana

Best Blinds, Draperies Shades of Marin

Best Carpet Cleaners Atlas Window and Carpet Cleaning

Best Carpeting Ken's Carpets & Flooring

Best Hardwood Flooring Rafael Floors

Best Home Accessories Feathered Nest - shopthefeatherednest.com

Best Home Furnishings Sunrise Home

Best Import Furnishings Via Diva Home Furnishings

Best Kitchen/Bath Remodeler Kitchens & More

Best Landscape Designer Cynthia Egger Landscape Design - eggerlandscape.com

Best Lumber/Hardware Store Jackson's Hardware

Best Movers Johnson & Daly Moving & Storage

Best Paint Store Tamalpais Paint & Color

Best Painting Contractor Kunst Bros. Painting

Best Place to Buy Appliances Martin & Harris

Best Plumber Peter Levi Plumbing - peterleviplumbinginc.com

Best Pool ServiceHerb's Pool Service

Best Roofer DeMello Roofing

Best Tile and Stone Store CTW Designs ctwdesigns.com

Best Tree Service TreeMasters - marintreemasters.com

UPON A WHEEL OF FIRE

Best Auto Dealer Marin Honda

Best Auto Body Repair/Design Blake's Auto Body

Best Domestic Car Repair Mellow Motors

Best Foreign Car Repair Easy Automotive

Best Tire Shop Toscalito Tire

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

Best Day Trip within 2 Hours Bodega Bay

Best Local Government San Rafael City Council

Best Marin Town, Other than Your Own San Anselmo

Best Non-Shakespeare Play The Alchemist, Ben Jonson

Best Place to Bring Out-of-Towners Muir Woods

Best Renaissance Artist Leonardo da Vinci

Best Renaissance Villain (fiction) Lady Macbeth

Best Renaissance Villain (real) Machiavelli

Best Renaissance Work of Art Sistine Chapel ceiling (Michelangelo)

Best Shakespeare Play A Midsummer Night's Dream

Biggest Local News Story '07 Oil spill reaches Marin shores

Most Overrated Work of Renaissance Art "Mona Lisa" (Leonardo da Vinci)

Worst Traffic Jam Highway 101 south (morning)

HALL OF FAME

1st Year

Best French Restaurant Left Bank

Best Pilates Studio Fit First Pilates - www.fitfirstpilates.com

Best Ski/Camping Shop Any Mountain

2nd Year

Best Burger Phyllis' Giant Burger

Best Dry Cleaners Marin Cleaners

Best Paint Store Marin Color Service

Best Pizza Amici's East Coast Pizzeria

Best Place to Dance Rancho Nicasio

Best Plumber Ongaro & Sons

Best Tires Cain's Tires

3rd Year

Best Carpeting Rafael Floors

Best Coffee Shop Peet's Coffee & Tea

Best Japanese Restaurant Sushi Ran

Best Lighting Store Lights of Rafael

Best Pet Supplies Pet Club

Best Women's Clothing Boutique Viva Diva

Posted by BEST SMOG CHECK PLACE?, a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Oct 10, 2008 at 12:24 pm

i am a smog technician/owner of SAN RAFAEL SMOG - we are a state certified smog center and have 2 locations in San Rafael. If you live in Marin we would like you to consider our stations for your next smog check. We're not on Best of Marin List YET! :) BUT we have all 5-star reviews on yelp and also offer $30 OFF coupon on our website at Web Link where you can find out more information and directions to both stores.

Posted by Pam, a resident of the Mill Valley neighborhood, on Dec 23, 2008 at 3:39 pm

BEST HAIR SALON -- AT THE TOP

Posted by R Johnson, a resident of the Novato neighborhood, on Dec 26, 2008 at 9:36 am

I would like to add my name to the chorus that has had excellent service from start to finish from Treemasters. From the front office, to the estimator, and finally the crews doing the actual work, my wife and I found a seemless professional operation which:

1) Provided certificates of the contractor's license and liability insurance without having to be asked;

2) Provided an estimator whose estimate came in lower than other top tree services for the same work;

3) Provided a crew which worked efficently and with an eye towards offering superior clean up at the end of the job.

We will definitely use this service again.

Posted by paulette, a resident of another community, on Dec 26, 2008 at 8:20 pm
paulette is a member (registered user) of Pacific Sun

Best Hair Salon:

At The Top in Mill Valley

Posted by Neuhaus Service, Inc., a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Jan 5, 2009 at 5:15 pm

We think that "Neuhaus Service, Inc. - Japanese and Domestic Car Service are the very best in the Bay Area. We highly recommend them.

They have serviced our cars for many, many years and have done an excellent job every time. Their charges are compattible.

Sincerely Renate Kohl

Posted by gail david-tellis, a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Jan 10, 2009 at 9:42 am

Rafael Floors deserves award in all floor-related categories. The owner himself came out to my house when the work done in his shop on my area rug was not done properly. He immediately took it upon himself and corrected the problem, at no charge to me. Three cheers for Ron Leach!!!

Posted by willard vernon, a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Jan 12, 2009 at 9:52 am

I recommend Toso Optical. Great service-friendly people

Posted by bridget, a resident of the Marin City neighborhood, on Jan 14, 2009 at 6:57 pm

how do you vote?

Best Women's Clothing Boutique Viva Diva

^^^i wanna vote for them !^^^

Posted by francene colvin/elliot henderson, a resident of the Kentfield neighborhood, on Jan 16, 2009 at 3:14 pm

mellow motors best foreign auto repair

Posted by Reyna, a resident of the Greenbrae neighborhood, on Jan 25, 2009 at 7:10 pm

Best Place for Lashes and Brows! ART OF THE EYE in Greenbrae.

Posted by joe, a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Jan 26, 2009 at 9:33 am

the voting is not fair or accurate, i am not a computer person and had a hard time with the vote link so my vote didn't count

Posted by melanie, a resident of the Novato neighborhood, on Jan 26, 2009 at 9:37 am

Best Florist!

Grant Avenue Florist

1129 Grant Avenue

Novato

what can i say they rock!

Posted by lynn menard, a resident of the San Anselmo neighborhood, on Jan 26, 2009 at 1:08 pm

Best foreign car repair - Mellow Motors

Best coffee shop - Marin Coffee Roaster

Posted by Self Storage Emporium in Larkspur, a resident of the Larkspur neighborhood, on Jan 26, 2009 at 7:56 pm

An unusually neat and compact storage company

Posted by sandra ash, a resident of the Greenbrae neighborhood, on Jan 28, 2009 at 3:15 pm

I vote for 20/20 Optical as the best place to find the right eye wear. Their frames are exquisite. They are like fine jewelry that you wear all the time.

Posted by Elisa Rodriguez, a resident of the Novato neighborhood, on Jan 28, 2009 at 9:34 pm

I would like to nominate AUTOBODY EXPRESS, San Rafael for the "Best of Marin" award because of the high calibar of work they do and because of their professionalism and that fact that they continually go the extra mile to make sure that their customers are completely satisfied. I've recommened them friends and they have all been extremely satisfied.

Posted by Judy, a resident of the Novato neighborhood, on Jan 29, 2009 at 7:28 pm

best hairsalon-Robertson and Roe in Novato

Posted by Side 2 Side, a resident of the San Anselmo neighborhood, on Feb 19, 2009 at 5:17 pm

Norma Jean's The Beauty Studio is the best place to relax and unwind and to leave all of your cares behind as you get a facial and waxing. You are treated like royalty and when you leave you feel renewed, rejuvenated, and rewarded. I love Norma Jean's and would never go anywhere else.

Posted by Side 2 Side, a resident of the San Anselmo neighborhood, on Feb 19, 2009 at 5:17 pm

Norma Jean's The Beauty Studio is the best place to relax and unwind and to leave all of your cares behind as you get a facial and waxing. You are treated like royalty and when you leave you feel renewed, rejuvenated, and rewarded. I love Norma Jean's and would never go anywhere else.

Posted by Larry Y, a resident of the Novato neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2009 at 7:57 pm

Best Foreign car repair in Marin. Hands down, Collie Autoworks in San Rafael is THE BEST AND MOST HONEST. I've only been in Marin since the '60s but have been ripped off, taken advantaged of and abused by about every foreign car mechanic in the county. Finally an HONEST,REASONABLE repair shop where single women and men can trust.And have expert repair work done without feeling ripped off. You ever felt you owed your mechanic more than you paid?

Posted by Pat M., a resident of the Mill Valley neighborhood, on Mar 4, 2009 at 11:33 am

Best Martial Arts Dojo: Practical Martial Arts/Marin Karate Kids

Mixed Martial Arts at its finest! Total training body, mind and spirit.

Sensei Mike is a treasure and an institution in our area.

Simply the best!

Posted by Sheryl Braum, a resident of the Novato neighborhood, on Mar 15, 2009 at 12:26 am

Natalie & Daria's are the best florists in Novato. They are located in the shopping center off of Ignacio Blvd (where the new Paradise Foods market will be). Natalie & Daria are very friendly & they make beautiful arrangements!

-Thomas & Sheryl

Posted by Ralph Johnson, a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Mar 26, 2009 at 5:42 pm

I'm surprised that Sur, the new Gift Shop in Fairfax didn't win as the best Gift Shop in the county! it is an amazing place with great art and jewelry. Check it out!

Posted by Terry McNichol, a resident of the Fairfax neighborhood, on Mar 26, 2009 at 5:43 pm

I agree. Sur is a great store.

Posted by Sharilyn Scharf, a resident of the Fairfax neighborhood, on Mar 28, 2009 at 11:45 pm

The new Potting Shed in Fairfax should have been named best Gift Shop. Tasteful, unique, elegant and unfussy plant arrangements and home and garden accessories that are reasonably priced. Don't miss this tiny but worthwhile gem.

Posted by Heidi, a resident of the San Anselmo neighborhood, on May 20, 2009 at 10:48 am

At THE TOP salon in Mill Valley gets my vote for the best, too.

Where is the best Pedicure in Marin? I have been looking . . .

Posted by judy, a resident of the San Rafael neighborhood, on Jul 15, 2009 at 1:17 pm

We are new to northern Ca. and would like to know where to get a great FLAT TOP haircut, not a crew but a flat top. Thanks

Posted by Geostreecarearborists, a resident of the Santa Venetia neighborhood, on May 27, 2010 at 10:53 am

Dear Sirs, We need to get some fast cheap advertizing in your paper and online if possible.We have been in business in Marin since 1995 but the wconomy has been difficult at best.We have two small adds in the new ATT phone book & we have a web site www.geostreecare.com. Can you help us? We need to let are customers that we are still in business. Sincerely, Geo 479-4841